The present invention relates to quality of document images in an image-based document processing system, and is particularly directed to a method of determining usability of a document image and an apparatus therefor.
In known image-based document processing systems, such as image-based check processing systems, in which a gray scale image of a bank check is obtained from scanning the check, a binarization program is usually applied to gray scale image data representative of the gray scale image of the check to provide binary image data which is representative of a binary image of the check. Some check images, whether gray scale images or binary images, may be of such poor quality that these check images are unusable for intended purposes. Unusable check images are sometimes stored in an archive and are not identified as being unusable until they are later retrieved from the archive. When an unusable check image is later identified, there is risk that the source document from which the check image was obtained may no longer be accessible. It would be desirable to identify unusable check images before such check images are stored in an archive.